Hours from the city of Siem Rap, the village owes its existence to 30 people attracted to Christianity. In three years, the local neo-gothic church, which had been turned into a barn, was renovated and is now used for Sunday Mass. Fr Winarta, an Indonesian Jesuit, tells the story of the small ...
Monday, September 05, 2011
By Asia News
Phnom Penh – The Catholic community of Taom (Battambang Diocese, Angkor Wat) can be reached from the city of Siem Rap after travelling for hours on a muddy road. Its life revolves around the fervent activities of its 29 members and 2 Indonesian Jesuit missionaries. AsiaNews recently visited the tiny impoverished village that was reborn last year after 40 years of oblivion and neglect when 30 locals were baptised.
Fr Stephanus Winarta SJ, from Java (Indonesia), is in charge of St John Parish Church in Siem Reap, and has followed the young community for some time. When he arrived there were no Catholics in Taom, he said. The St Mary Parish Church built by the French in the early 1900s had fallen into ruin under the Khmer Rouge regime, alternatively used as a barn and for human habitation.
“Then one day, a miracle occurred, and a few locals asked to be baptised,” the priest said. “In three years, 30 people became Catholic, participating in catechism courses organised by Fr Heribertus Bratasudarma, an indonesian Jesuit who has lived in cambodia for 11 years. In 2010, the bishop of Battambang baptised them and now they lead the community.
Fr Winarta said he was struck by their enthusiasm. In a few months, they salvaged the old church building and asked the young Jesuit to perform Mass there once a week.
Now the church bell tolls and Catholics can leave their fields for the church. During Mass, which includes singing, residents from neighbouring villages come as well. Two Japanese volunteers sent by the Jesuit Social Centre to care for the sick and teach children to read and write also join the service.
The spiritual rebirth of the village has led Fr Winarta to invite Mgr Giovanni D’Aniello, apostolic nuncio to Cambodia and Laos.
Siem Reap parish has about 500 members, 40 per cent of Vietnamese descent, plus a number of foreigners.
Overall, Cambodia has about 20,000 Catholics (0.15 per cent). Foreign missionaries and about ten local priests run the Church.
Since the 1990s, the Cambodian Church has been going through a renaissance. When the Khmer Rouges took power, all foreign missionaries were expelled.
The local clergy was wiped out as priests, nuns and men religious died under torture or from deprivation. (M. H.)
5 comments:
The Communists of all Communist nations not only they rejected GOD the creator, but they rejected the many Buddhas such as the last Buddha who was sent to teach them how to end the sufferings. GOD can never be defeated, He is here, and this Old Catholic Church is a sign of GOD has been presence.
Bless those souls who were carried the cross of GOD when He became a man and Bless those who follow the Divine Providence. Amen
cambodia should resurrect the magnificent cathedrals again. the one in phnom penh was the destroyed by the stupid, backward KR regime. it was the largest french cathedral in cambodia before the KR destroyed it, you know! i think french should help cambodia rebuilt more magnificent french cathedrals again. god bless cambodia.
All the
creations on earth was and are supplies by ធម្មជាតិ =
Nature = The Word of God. All things on earth will
go back to dirt if God take His hand off.
Jesus born by woman through the Holy Spirit, not by man. That way He can be 100% human and 100% God in order that through Him and Him alone can bring human being that fall into sin back to the original love of God.
Archeology in the world searching for Jesus's tomb and His bond so that they can prove that Jesus resurrection never happen, at the end 99% of them end up receiving Christ as their savior. There was lots of eyewitness include the most discipline soldier of Roman can proved that Jesus is arise. Buddha, in his last minute on earth told his follower that they need to wait and looking for the loving savior because for he is not god, but his follower never follow his instruction, instead they created creed for their own benifit. Instead of going around asking for food, they created that creed so that people can bring food for them when they are on meditate. Jesus come to serve and save by dying in our sinful life so that we have can eternal life with Him. This is called Real Love.
Jesus never run away from the problem but He will
face the problem for He love His Children.
It is so easy to become children of God and live eternal life with Him in Eternal State (Heaven) by just accepting Him as your personal savior. God Bless all
Khmer and every ones on earth. Thank you.
11:25AM! How 's stupid are you to critiq other religion that alow your religion to come in their society?
What the Catolic do to collect millions of $ from poor people to built Vantica?
If your God ,Jeay Sou, not run away! Wher the hell is him right noe when the world not live in peace?
You stupid lier or you beleive your ler priest?
Is Yeay siou in your bud, now?
i like all religion's architect, even the european ones. i think they are beautiful and magnificent. of course, khmer wats are beautiful, too!
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